Art Display Assembly And Method For Making The Same

ABSTRACT

An art frame assembly comprises an outer frame and an inner artwork subassembly. The outer frame includes a central opening. The inner artwork subassembly is disposed within the central opening of the outer frame and includes a artwork sheet and a structural liner. The structural liner defines an open-faced box-like structure and includes a front surface, a back surface, and a plurality of folded side walls. The folded side walls are coupled to the artwork sheet and are folded away from the front surface of the structural liner towards the back surface of the structural liner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

This application relates generally to an art frame assembly for mounting and framing a piece of artwork. Traditionally wooden frames have been used for mounting art work, including painted or printed images provided on an image substrate. The image substrate, which is typically a flexible sheet material such as canvas, is mounted on the wooden frame by stretching the image substrate over the wooden frame and then coupling the image substrate thereto. Once the image substrate material is mounted to the wooden frame, the mounted artwork or image can be placed within an external frame.

Although these types of prior art assemblies are useful for mounting artwork and images, the production and assembly of the wooden frames can be costly and time consuming. These types of assemblies, moreover, are difficult to assemble without costly tools. Therefore, a need remains to provide a cheaper, more time effective, and simpler means for mounting painted or printed images The present disclosure addresses these and other issues.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure provides an improved art frame assembly including a flexible structural liner used to mount artwork provided on a sheet material. The liner can be made of a paper material, such as corrugated material, or other foldable inexpensive materials and can be produced and assembled more quickly, simply and for a lower cost than the traditional wooden frames used to mount painted or printed images.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an art assembly for use in a frame. The art assembly comprises an artwork sheet and a structural liner. The structural liner comprises a paper material, such as corrugated, and includes a main body and a plurality of folded side walls sized and dimensioned to correlate to the artwork sheet. The artwork sheet is coupled to the structural liner, wherein the structural liner provides a support structure for the artwork sheet enabling insertion of the artwork sheet into a frame to display the portion of the sheet received on the main body.

In another aspect, the structural liner can define a rectangular box-like structure, wherein the main body is adapted to receive an art display. The artwork sheet can include a plurality of corner cutaways at corners of the artwork sheet to enable folding of the sheet with the structural liner. The corner cutaways of the artwork sheet can minimize excess material when the artwork sheet is folded together with the plurality of folded side walls of the structural liner. In another aspect, the structural liner can be folded from a blank, and the artwork sheet can be folded together with the plurality of folded side walls of the structural liner. At least one folded portion of at least one corner of the artwork sheet can be coupled to at least one of the plurality of folded side walls of the structural liner, thereby retaining the at least one of the plurality of folded side walls in a folded configuration. In another aspect, the artwork sheet can comprise a cloth, a plastic, a paper, a metal foil, or similar materials. The artwork sheet cam also comprise a canvas material.

In another aspect, the disclosure provides an art frame assembly comprising an outer frame including a central opening, and an inner artwork subassembly disposed within the central opening of the outer frame and including an artwork sheet folded together with a structural liner formed from a blank to define a support structure for insertion into the outer frame.

The artwork sheet can be a square or a rectangle, and can include a plurality of corner cutaways provided at corners to minimize excess material when the artwork sheet is folded with the plurality of folded side walls of the corrugated structural liner. The corner cutaways of the artwork sheet can be provided at an angle of forty-five degree angles to the sides.

The blank for folding the structural liner can comprise a four sided polygonal main body and a plurality of side walls extending form each of the sides of the main body, and the blank can be adapted to be folded into a box-like structure to provide structural support. The artwork sheet can be folded simultaneously with the structural liner, such that the artwork sheet extends across the main body of the corrugated structural liner. At least one folded portion of at least one of the corners of the artwork sheet can be coupled to at least one of the plurality of folded side walls of the corrugated structural liner, thereby retaining the at least one of the plurality of folded side walls in a folded configuration. The inner artwork subassembly is rigidly coupled to the outer frame within the central opening.

In another aspect, the present disclosure describes a method for assembling an art frame assembly. The assembly comprises an outer frame including a central opening and an inner artwork subassembly including an artwork sheet and a structural liner comprising a blank, the blank including a central main body and a plurality of side walls foldable into a box-like structure. The method comprises the steps of coupling the artwork sheet to at least one of the plurality of side walls of the structural liner, folding the plurality of side walls of the structural liner away from a front surface of the structural liner towards a back surface of the structural liner to form a support structure for the artwork sheet around the main body, and inserting the inner artwork subassembly into the central opening of the outer frame.

In another aspect, the method can comprise the step of cutting a plurality of corner cutaways from corners of the artwork sheet. The method can also include the step of coupling the inner artwork subassembly to the outer frame within the central opening, and the step of folding the artwork sheet with the plurality of side walls, such that an image on the artwork sheet extends across the main body of the structural liner.

These and other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown a preferred embodiment of the disclosure. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention and reference is made therefore, to the claims herein for interpreting the scope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front, left, top perspective view of an art frame assembly.

FIG. 2 is a front, left, top exploded perspective view of the art frame assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front, left, top perspective view of an outer frame of the art frame assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a back, right, bottom perspective view of the outer frame of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a liner of the art frame assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of an artwork sheet of the art frame assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a detail view of an inner artwork subassembly of the art frame assembly of FIG. 1, shown in an unfolded state.

FIG. 8 is a detail view of the inner artwork subassembly of the art frame assembly of FIG. 1, shown in a folded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.

The present disclosure describes an art frame assembly and methods for manufacturing the same. FIG. 1 illustrates an art frame assembly 10, according to one embodiment of the disclosure. In some embodiments, the art frame assembly 10 can be used to mount and frame various art and other types of display pieces. For example, the art frame assembly 10 can be used to mount and frame a painted canvas. In some embodiments, the art frame assembly 10 can be used in other settings, such as, for example, to mount photographs, posters, memorabilia, textiles, textured sheets, etc.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the art frame assembly 10 includes an outer frame 12, an inner artwork subassembly 14, and a back panel 15. The outer frame 12 defines a generally rectangular shape and includes a plurality of walls defining central opening 16. The inner artwork subassembly 14 similarly defines a generally rectangular shape and is coupled to the outer frame 12 within the central opening 16 of the outer frame 12. The inner artwork subassembly 14 can be coupled to the outer frame 12 using any of an adhesive, staples, nails, screws, or any other suitable method of coupling. Although in the illustrated embodiment both the outer frame 12 and the inner artwork subassembly 14 define generally rectangular shapes, this illustration is not intended to be limiting and in other embodiments the outer frame 12 and the inner artwork subassembly 14 can define various other shapes, such as, for example, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, oval, circular, etc.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer frame 12 further includes a front surface 18, a front recessed portion 20, a back surface 22, and a back recessed portion 24. The front recessed portion 20 is recessed below the front surface 18 and includes a plurality of walls defining a ridge extending into the central opening 16. As assembled, the inner artwork assembly can be coupled to the recessed portion 20 using coupling elements such as stapes, tape, adhesives, glue, threaded fasteners or other devices. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, when mounted, a gap can be provided between the inner artwork subassembly 14 and the inner edges of the front surface 18 of the outer frame 12. The back surface of the recessed portion 24 similarly defines a ridge surrounds the central opening 16. A back panel 15 can be coupled to the back surface of the recessed portion 24 to allow a back surface of the back panel 15 to sit substantially flush with the back surface 22 of the outer frame 12, providing a smooth, clean back surface which protects the inner artwork subassembly 14. The back panel 15 can be coupled to the back recessed portion 24 using a suitable coupling method, including, but not limited to, any of an adhesive, staples, nails, and screws. The back panel 15 can further include a coupling device for hanging the art frame assembly 10, such as, for example, hooks, hanging apertures, or any other suitable device for hanging the art frame assembly 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5-8, the inner artwork subassembly 14 includes a structural liner 28 and an artwork sheet 30. The structural liner 28 includes a main body 32 and a plurality of side walls 34. The main body 32 includes a front surface 18 and a back surface 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the structural liner 28 is shown formed as a blank for folding into a rectangular configuration and includes a main body 32 formed as a central rectangle and four side walls 34, each extending from and of equivalent length to one of the sides of the main body 32, and offset from the main body 32 by fold lines 44 that enable easy and consistent folding of the walls 34. The fold lines 44 can be scored lines as illustrated, perforated lines, pre-stressed folds, or other fold lines that simplify folding and enable consistent folds along a straight line to form the structural liner 28.

As shown, for example, in FIG. 8, the walls 34 can be folded away from the front surface 18 of the main body 32 towards the back surface 22 of the main body 32 to provide a structural liner 28 that is a generally rectangular box-like shape. Although a rectangular shape is shown here, in other embodiments, other shape configurations are possible, such as, for example, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, oval, oval, circular, etc. Additionally, as best illustrated in FIG. 7, the structural liner 28 can be constructed of a corrugated material such as cardboard, adding structural rigidity to the structural liner 28, while also reducing weight and material costs. In other embodiments the structural liner can be constructed of a other types of paper materials, included non-corrugated material poster board, card stock, or other types of thick paper, metal foil materials, plastics, and other types of material that will be apparent to those of skill in the art.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the artwork sheet 30 can define a substantially rectangular shape, but can also include four corner cutaways 36, configured to allow for the artwork sheet 30 to be folded simply and neatly with the structural liner 28, as will also be described below. Although other angles are possible, as shown here the corner cutaways are provided at a forty-five degree angle to the sides of the artwork sheet 30. As described above, the artwork sheet 30 can be a canvas material typical for use in painted artwork. Alternatively, the artwork sheet 30 can be made of other types of fabric material, plastic, an elastic material, paper, photographic paper, metal foil, or any other suitable material that can be used with reproduced images and other types of decorative pieces. In the illustrated embodiment, the artwork sheet 30 includes a display image 38, which can be a photograph, drawing, artwork, textured composition, or other types of images. The display image 38 is merely an example and is not meant to be limiting. The artwork sheet can comprise a poster, textual inscription, or a single color, or any design that the user considers suitable for framing.

A periphery of the artwork sheet 30 is coupled to the side walls 34 of the structural liner 28 to retain the artwork sheet 30 in a pre-defined shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the artwork sheet 30 is coupled to the structural liner 28 using a plurality of staples 40. In other embodiments, the artwork sheet 30 can alternatively or additionally be coupled to the structural liner 28 using other coupling elements including, for example adhesive, nails, screws, tape or any other suitable device or method. Although the periphery is shown coupled to the side walls 34, in other embodiments, other surfaces of the structural liner 28 may be additionally or alternatively coupled to the artwork sheet 30. For example, in some embodiments, the front surface 18 of the structural liner 28 may be coupled to a central portion of the artwork sheet 30 using adhesive tapes or other types of coupling elements.

Now that the general structure of the art frame assembly 10 has been described in detail above, a method of assembling or manufacturing the artwork assembly 10 and component parts will be described below. The method described below is provided as an example and is not meant to be limiting.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a blank for the structural liner 28 can be cut from a piece of sheet material of the types described above. To form a rectangular structural liner 28 of the type shown, the main body 32 and walls 34 can be formed by cutting corners of ninety-degree angles from each corner of a rectangular sheet material, the size of the cut-outs being dimensioned as required by the frame 12 to be used for mounting. Pre-defined fold lines 44 can be cut into the sheet material either before or after the corners are cut.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, to construct the artwork subassembly 14, the artwork sheet 30 is coupled to the blank for the structural liner 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the artwork sheet 30 is coupled to the side walls 34 of the structural liner 28 using a plurality of staples 40. Further, the artwork sheet 30 is coupled to the structural liner 28, such that the display image 38 or a surface intended to receive a display image 38 faces away from the structural liner 28 and the artwork sheet 30 rests against the front surface 18 of the main body 32. Either before or after the artwork sheet 30 has been coupled to the structural liner 28, corners of the artwork sheet 30 are cut away creating the corner cutaways 36.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8, with the artwork sheet 30 coupled to the structural liner 28, and the corner cutaways 36 created, the artwork sheet 30 is folded with the structural liner 28 about the fold lines 44 on the structural liner 28. When the artwork sheet 30 and the structural liner 28 are folded, the artwork sheet 30 is stretched over the main body 32 of the structural liner 28 due to the rigid coupling between the artwork sheet 30 and side walls 34 of the structural liner 28, creating tension in the artwork sheet 30. The tension in the artwork sheet 30 ensures that the artwork sheet 30 stays flat during assembly, and furthermore for the lifetime of the art frame assembly 10. Additionally, when the artwork sheet 30 and the structural liner 28 are folded, the artwork sheet 30 folds over on itself at the corners creating folded-over portions 46. The folded-over portions 46 are pinched between adjacent side walls 34 of the structural liner 28 at the corner. As previously mentioned above, the corner cutaways 36 minimize unnecessary excess canvas material in the folded-over portions 46.

Once the artwork sheet 30 has been folded with the structural liner 28, the inner artwork subassembly 14 is generally fully formed and can be inserted into the central opening 16 of the outer frame 12. As described above, after the inner artwork subassembly 14 is inserted into the central opening 16 of the outer frame 12, the inner artwork subassembly 14 can then be coupled to the outer frame 12. The back panel 15 may then be coupled to the back recessed portion 24 of the outer frame 12. The display image 38 or other design can be applied to the artwork sheet 30 through any of painting, printing, handwriting, photograph reproducing, or other suitable means. The image 38 or other artistic work or design is typically applied prior to assembly of the artwork subassembly 14, however, an image 38 or other artistic or display element can be added to the artwork sheet 30 at any time, such as after assembly of the artwork sheet 30 to the structural liner 28, or after insertion in the frame.

After the inner artwork subassembly 14 has been coupled to the outer frame 12 within the central opening 16, and the back panel has been coupled to the recessed mounting surface of the outer frame 12, the art frame assembly 10 is assembled, and is ready for use by hanging, inserting on an easel, or in other ways of displaying the art.

In some embodiments, the outer frame 12, inner artwork subassembly 14, including the structural liner 28 and the artwork sheet 30, and the back panel 15 can be provided as separate elements within a kit. The kit can then be assembled and used by an end customer, without the need for a manufacturer to assemble the art frame assembly 10.

Although specific embodiments are described above, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill that a number of variations can be made within the scope of the disclosure. For example, it will be apparent that in some embodiments, the inner artwork subassembly 14 may be provided and used without the outer frame 12. In these embodiments, when the artwork sheet 30 is folded with the structural liner 28, the folded-over portions 46, while pinched between the side walls 34, may be coupled to the side walls 34, such that the artwork sheet 30 and the structural liner 28 are retained in a “frameless” folded configuration (similar to FIG. 8), without being enveloped in an outer frame 12. In some other embodiments, the art frame assembly 10 may not include a back panel, as the outer frame 12 may be configured to allow for direct hanging of the art frame assembly 10. Additionally, although a specific frame has been illustrated and described, the artwork subassembly 14 and structural liner 28 described above can also be used with other types of frames, be used without a frame. For example, an artist can paint directly on the described inner artwork assembly. It should be understood, therefore, that the methods and apparatuses described above are only exemplary and do not limit the scope of the invention, and that various modifications could be made by those skilled in the art that would fall within the scope of the invention. To apprise the public of the scope of this invention, the following claims are made: 

We claim:
 1. An art assembly for use in a frame, comprising: an artwork sheet; and a structural liner comprising a paper material including a main body and a plurality of folded side walls sized and dimensioned to correlate to the artwork sheet, the artwork sheet being coupled to the structural liner, wherein the structural liner provides a support structure for the artwork sheet enabling insertion of the artwork sheet into a frame.
 2. The art assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural liner defines a rectangular box-like structure including a main body section adapted to receive an art display.
 3. The art assembly of claim 1, wherein the artwork sheet includes a plurality of corner cutaways provided at corners of the artwork sheet to enable folding of the sheet with the structural liner.
 4. The art assembly of claim 3, wherein the corner cutaways of the artwork sheet minimize excess material when the artwork sheet is folded together with the plurality of folded side walls of the structural liner.
 5. The art frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural liner is folded from a blank, and the artwork sheet is folded together with the plurality of folded side walls of the structural liner, such that the artwork sheet extends across the main body of the structural liner.
 6. The art frame assembly of claim 5, wherein at least one folded portion of at least one corner of the artwork sheet is coupled to at least one of the plurality of folded side walls of the structural liner, thereby retaining the at least one of the plurality of folded side walls in a folded configuration.
 7. The art frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the artwork sheet comprises at least one of a cloth, a plastic, and a metal foil.
 8. The art frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the artwork sheet comprises a canvas material.
 9. The art frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the paper material is corrugated.
 10. An art frame assembly comprising: an outer frame including a central opening; and an inner artwork subassembly disposed within the central opening of the outer frame and including an artwork sheet folded together with a structural liner formed from a blank to define a support structure for insertion into the outer frame.
 11. The art frame assembly of claim 10, wherein the artwork sheet is at least one of a square and a rectangle, and includes a plurality of corner cutaways provided at corners of the artwork sheet to minimize excess material when the artwork sheet is folded with the plurality of folded side walls of the corrugated structural liner.
 12. The art frame assembly of claim 10, wherein the blank for folding the structural liner comprises a four sided polygonal main body and a plurality of side walls extending form each of the sides of the main body, and the blank is adapted to be folded into a box-like structure.
 13. The art frame assembly of claim 11, wherein the corner cutaways of the artwork sheet are at an angle of forty-five degree angles to the sides.
 14. The art frame assembly of claim 12, wherein the artwork sheet is folded simultaneously with the structural liner, such that the artwork sheet extends across the main body of the corrugated structural liner.
 15. The art frame assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one folded portion of at least one of the corners of the artwork sheet is coupled to at least one of the plurality of folded side walls of the corrugated structural liner, thereby retaining the at least one of the plurality of folded side walls in a folded configuration.
 16. The art frame assembly of claim 13, wherein the inner artwork subassembly is rigidly coupled to the outer frame within the central opening.
 17. A method for assembling an art frame assembly comprising an outer frame including a central opening and an inner artwork subassembly including a artwork sheet and a structural liner comprising a blank including a central main body and a plurality of side walls foldable into a box-like structure, the method comprising the steps of; coupling the artwork sheet to at least one of the plurality of side walls of the structural liner; folding the plurality of side walls of the structural liner away from a front surface of the structural liner towards a back surface of the structural liner to form a support structure for the artwork sheet around the main body; and inserting the inner artwork subassembly into the central opening of the outer frame.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of cutting a plurality of corner cutaways from corners of the artwork sheet.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of coupling the inner artwork subassembly to the outer frame within the central opening.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of folding the artwork sheet with the plurality of side walls, such that an image on the artwork sheet extends across the main body of the structural liner. 